From The Ground Up
by abbyli
Summary: Catelyn is saved by Jon Snow after the Red Wedding and to her great surprise and joy, her Robb has survived too. They find shelter in Jon's home, and as a new battle in the war brews, Catelyn struggles to forgive. [ modern ]
1. The Wedding

**.**

 **.**

The blood ran red on the floor.

Catelyn gasps against the pain in her shoulders, peering up through hazy eyes towards Walder Frey, who stands above her with a pistol in his hand.

She couldn't understand it. Everything was all right - they were there at the Frey mansion to celebrate the wedding of his daughter Roslin to one of her bodyguards. They were supposed to be safe. Weddings were a safe place.

Not a place of death.

The last ten minutes had taken everything away from her. In a fucking blink of an eye, it was all over.

She had watched through horrified eyes as her new daughter in law took three bullets to her swollen abdomen and had fallen down dead before Robb could even reach her. Several of their guards, who were inebriated, were dropping like flies - shot execution style with bullets to the forehead and chest.

Robb was held up by the throat by Roose Bolton, the cold steel of a pistol pressed to his temple. Her boy, her twenty three year old boy, bleeds from a shot to the belly, his eyes already glazed over as the unconsciousness takes over.

Catelyn ignores the fresh stream of blood from her shoulder as she turns on to her side. "This was all because - of the broken deal?" she gulps air.

Walder Frey gives her a smile with his grey filmed teeth before nodding. "Yes ma'am."

"So what are you going to do now?" Catelyn casts an anxious look towards her son. "Shoot us both and then what? There are more of us out there, Walder! They will come after you!"

Walder shrugs a shoulder, glancing around at the destruction. "There isn't many left. I'll take my chances."

Roose shoots Robb again.

Catelyn screams, a sound that is piercing and pulsing in the air.

The more pain explodes. Pain that she cannot even understand, or begin to comprehend. Pain that should not even exist.

Her world goes dark.

-;

The three SUVs come to a stop in front of the abandoned house.

Jon Snow hops out of the driver's side of the lead SUV, followed by the redheaded sniper called Ygritte Wilding. He signals at the following car and receives a nod from Brienne Tarth, who quickly turns the car off of the drive and into the grass towards the back of the house. The third SUV pulls up besides his and Theon Greyjoy hops out, his gun held at the ready.

With a silent nod, Jon hit's the front door with alarming speed. His rifle is high and ready, Ygritte right behind him.

"Take to the roof, Theon," he mutters. His ally nods and disappears around the corner of the adjoining hall.

Ygritte coughs, the stench of decaying corpses hitting her nose. "Let's get this over with, Jon Snow."

They make down the opposite hall and into the great room. There, they find one of the most gruesome sights ever.

Bodies litter the floor like dropped flies, most of them shot through the head. He spots Talisa Stark, the pretty nurse that his brother had been so crazy for - the kind woman that had claimed Robb's heart, laying in the center of the floor, her belly ripped apart.

Ygritte shucks off her jacket and gently lays it over Talisa's face before turning. "There he is."

Jon swallows a cry at Robb. His best friend since childhood lays on his side, his face almost gone from the shot he had taken.

"I'll take him," Ygritte mutters, already moving towards the other man. She slides her rifle around onto her back as she leans down beside Robb. Jon turns away, his pistol still at the ready.

A low moan greets his ears.

Jon looks around, swallowing at the gag rising in his throat. Another moan follows and he turns again, nearly stepping on a woman with long hair.

"Catelyn?"

Kneeling down, his fingers feel for a pulse and to his great surprise, there is one. Weak and thready but there. He quickly yanks off his own jacket and snips the end with his knife, tearing it down the center into two sections before taking one and pressing it to the still bleeding wound at Catelyn's shoulder and doing the same for the other.

Catelyn's hand grabs at his, her eyes opening blearily. " _No."_

Jon takes her fingers, gnawing his bottom lip. "You're safe now."

" _JON!"_ Jon whirls around to find Ygritte staring at him, her hands stained with blood and a wild look in her eyes. "He's alive."

He doesn't dare hope.

"I have a pulse," Ygritte says. "Robb's alive."

 **.**

 **.**

 **Well I've had this sitting in my drafts for about a hundred years and I am finally throwing it up now. This is just the bare bones of one honker of a story I have planned. Planned Jonsa and RobbYgritte.**


	2. The Dogs

**.**

She goes for the dogs.

When she gets to the house, the back pens are already ablaze. She runs as quickly as she can, her long legs carrying her as she reaches the back of the house. A low pitiful yowl creases the air, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up.

Pulling the gun from the back of her belt, she fires off two bullets into the padlock on the door of the pen. Kicking the door in, she finds the two dogs curled together on the melting floor, having already accepted their fate.

"Come on, boys," she claps her hands together, leaning down to scoop one of the dogs up and loop him around her shoulders. Grabbing the other in her arms, she backs from the pen and into the chilly evening air. She sucks the fresh oxygen into her lungs, moving quickly to her car and placing the unconscious dogs in the back. "Hang in there, boys. Hang in there."

She kicks her car into gear, pulling out of the driveway at a near seventy miles per hour. It takes her nearly ten minutes to get into town, nearly running the SUV up onto curb before the emergency animal clinic.

"Help!" She shouts, running through the front door and into the main waiting room. "I need some help out here!"

The people gathered around carrying their fluffy cats and their squawking parakeets stare at her. Only the man in a long white coat that stands behind the receptionists desk moves at her command. "What do you have?"

He follows her outside and to the car, his jaw falling open when he sees the dogs. "Oh my. I will be right back." He's gone and back within a minute, returning with a gurney and a woman in scrubs. "Get the dogs inside. We have some work to do if we are going to save them. What are the dogs names?"

"Ghost and Grey Wind."

-;

She awakes to pain. Blinding pain.

"Oh my gosh..." Catelyn throws her head back, fighting back a cry before there's suddenly cool water at her lips. She sucks greedily at the straw, taking in as much as she can before the straw is pulled away. "Nooo."

"That's enough, Mum. We don't need you throwing it up."

Sansa? "Sansa?" Catelyn's lips are rough and cracked and she runs her tongue along her bottom one to form the words better. Sansa's worried eyes swim into her vision. "Oh my darling."

Sansa's fingers link through hers, pulling her hand in. "Hey Mum." A sudden tear escapes that she wipes away quickly. "You gave us quite a scare."

"What...happened? How am I...here?" Catelyn asks.

"You're at Jon Snow's home," Sansa explains. "Ygritte got the bullet out of your shoulder and your chest. There was some internal bleeding but she fixed it right up. A few weeks of bed rest and you will be up kicking ass again in no time."

Catelyn blinks at the rising heat in her eyes. She's alive. She's going to be fine. But her boy...her baby boy..."Did they tell you about Robb?"

"Robb? He's still unconscious. Ygritte is a miracle worker, Mum. Wait until you see him. She thinks he is going to be just fine."

Wait...what?

"No, your brother is dead, Sansa. They shot him."

A wide smile crosses Sansa's pretty features. "Mum," she says, leaning down so her lips were next to her mother's ear. "Robb made it. He's alive."

That does it. Catelyn knows her daughter would never lie to her.

She tries to get out of bed but Sansa easily pushes her back. "Uh-uh. You ain't going anywhere."

"I want to see him!" Catelyn tries again to get out of bed but Sansa is persistent. "Please Sansa."

Her daughter sighs. "I'll tell you what. If you promise to try and relax and get some rest, I will go get Ygritte and see if we can bring you into Robb's room. Mum, I'm not messing with you. He's right next door. Robb's okay."

Sansa leaves and returns a moment later with the young red headed doctor in tow. Ygritte quickly pulls a tiny light from her pocket and shins it in Catelyn's eyes before checking her vitals. "You and your son are very lucky," she says. "Another few minutes and that would have been it."

Catelyn swats away the thermometer that Ygritte has just run across her forehead. "How is my son?"

Ygritte replaces the thermometer into it's casing. "He had a shadow of a pulse when Jon and I found him. After rushing the both of you into the hospital, you were stabilized and I got the bullet out of Robb's chest. His face a little trickier. The bullet had passed right through his cheek. That's why the Frey and Bolton thought he was dead."

"So what does that mean?" Catelyn asks.

"Robb's still not out of the woods. His pulse and blood pressure are very low. He's currently receiving a transfusion and we are going to have to wait until he wakes up. But, I have no reason to believe that he will not pull through. You raised a fighter, Mrs. Stark."

The tears finally escape down Catelyn's cheeks. Her trembling hands wrap around Ygritte's, holding them to her lips. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Ygritte gives her a soft smile. "Get some rest and I will see if you can see Robb tomorrow morning, all right?"

Sansa helps Catelyn settle back into the pillows, readjusting the nasal cannula that had fallen out. "I'll be right here."

-;

Ygritte leaves, gently closing the door behind her as the Stark women begin to rest at last. She pads down the hallway to Robb's room, lightly cracking the door open. To her surprise, Jon is kneeling beside the bed, Robb's hand in both of his.

Whispered words greet her ears, a prayer that she had not heard since she was very young.

" _'Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, thy will be done_..."

The Lord's Prayer. Ygritte hadn't heard those words since she was a very small child and even then, she hadn't believed in them. She wasn't sure what she did believe in, if there was anything. The hell she had seen in the last hours, the destruction was delivered by other humans really didn't help her faith.

But she did believe, she suddenly realizes. She had believed Catelyn had the strength to pull through and she did. She believed Robb had the will to hold on. She believed in the love that this family had for one another.

Yeah, Ygritte did have faith. Not much, but it was there.

"Jon?" Her friend startles so easily, quickly jumping to his feet and turning around. Ygritte holds up a hand. "I need to check his vitals and see if his dressings need to be changed."

"Do you need any help?"

"Possibly. You can stay." Jon eases his back to the wall as Ygritte moves around Robb's bed. The dressings on his chest are still holding, nothing needed to be changed for at least a few more hours. The ones on his cheek, those did. "Okay, this is where I need you. Grab some gloves from that box there, okay?"

Jon obeys, sliding the blue gloves on over his fingers before joining her. "Tell me what to do."

Ygritte carefully pulls the tape from Robb's cheek and quickly replaces the bloodied bandage with a new one. "Hold that right there while I get the adhesive tape." She grabs the tape off of the side table, gently pressing it down on both sides of Robb's face. "Okay, that's it. Thank you, Jon."

"No." Ygritte looks up at her friend, her eyes widening. Jon's face is drawn and she has never seen him look so tired in all the years she had known him. "Thank you, Ygritte. For saving him. For saving Mrs. Stark."

"Jon Snow, I have been loyal to this family since they took me in all those years ago," Ygritte whispers. "There's nothing I wouldn't do to help. Robb's just gonna owe me a few dozen double mocha lattes."

Jon finally laughs, and she joins him with a soft chuckle of her own. "Go get some sleep. I will wake you if anything happens."

"Sounds good to me," Ygritte replies. "I have to call Tormund and let him know everything's all right."

After she leaves the bedroom, Ygritte pulls her phone from her pocket and dials a number. She hadn't been able to do all the operating on her own at the hospital, her dear friend and mentor Dr. Tormund Giantsbane had been on duty that night. Tormund was never officially a part of the family but he was a good go between. He was close friends with Jon, having crashed at his house a few times. Ygritte still had a few images burned in her head of accidentally walking in on him in the shower while she was still half asleep.

Her call with Tormund is short. He sounds just as exhausted as she feels, the call cutting off with the same thing, a promise to call if anything had changed in Robb or Catelyn's condition.

She heads to her bedroom after that, tossing her phone on the nightstand before collapsing on the bed with all of her clothes and her shoes on before sleep overtakes her.

-;

Sansa awakes with a jolt to her phone ringing shrilly. She dives for it, nearly falling over before her fingers manage to wrap around the device. "Hwello?"

"Sansa?"

She sits up straighter at the familiar voice. "Brienne? Where are you? Are you okay?"

Brienne breathes a sigh of relief on the other end of the line. "I'm so glad you are okay. How's your mother and brother?"

Sansa glances at her still sleeping mother, lowering herself back down into the armchair she had passed out in the night before. "My mom's doing well. She woke up yesterday and we got to tell her that Robb's alive."

"That's wonderful," Brienne says. Sansa hears a crackle on her end of the phone line. "I need you to come down to the vet clinic when you can."

"Why? What's the matter?"

"They got the dogs, Sansa."

The dogs. Oh god, she hadn't even thought about Grey Wind and Ghost. Lady was safe back at her dorm, currently in the care of her roommate. Sansa was already planning on finding a good home for her dog. This war was escalating and she didn't want her innocent dog caught in the middle of it.

"Are the dogs alive?" Sansa asks, dreading the answer.

"Yes, they are. Both of them are badly injured though. The vet just managed to pull them through. Ironic, I guess."

"I'll tell Jon where I'm going. See you soon." She hangs up the phone and leans down to press a kiss to her mother's cheek. "Love you. Be back soon." Grabbing her discarded shoes, Sansa tiptoes from the bedroom and heads to the last door at the end of the hall. Lightly tapping on it with her knuckles, Sansa calls, "Jon? Jon, are you awake?"

The door flies open so quickly that Sansa nearly falls backwards. Jon's callused hand catches her shoulder to steady her. "I am now. Are you okay?"

Whoa. Since Sansa had been away at school, she had forgotten how attractive her brother's best friend was.

"Um, that was Brienne a few minutes ago. Jon, we forgot about the dogs."

The look of despair that crosses Jon's face is enough to break her heart.

-;

As they ride to the clinic, Sansa glances through her phone. "The massacre has been reported as a drug deal gone south."

"Anything about your mother and Robb?" Jon asks, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles are turning white.

Sansa shakes her head. "They haven't finished identifying the bodies."

"Talisa..." Jon's mouth twists with sorrow. "When Robb wakes up, what are we going to tell him?"

"The truth," Sansa states. "I know my brother, he always demands the absolute truth. One time, he nearly lost his marbles when he realized Santa wasn't real." Sansa laughs at the memory. "He actually gave our parents a long talking too because he feared that he had hurt us by continuing to tell us about Santa and 'spread the fabrication', as he called it."

"I remember that!" A smile appears and Sansa has never seen him look more beautiful. "I think I was spending Christmas with your family again that year."

"With Robb, he's going to be incredibly angry and heartbroken but he will heal. That's all any of us can do." Sansa shifts in her seat to glance out the window. "Here's the clinic."

Jon eases the car over to the side of the road, pulling on his dark glasses before he exit's the car. Sansa tucks her hair up underneath her scarlet beanie, joining him at the curb. They walk around the side of the small building where they see Brienne waiting for them. Sansa quickly darts into her friend's arms, accepting the warm hug that she gives her before they duck into the building.

"Where's Ghost?" Jon asks once they are inside.

"Right through here," comes a voice. Jon's eyes widen at the sight of the man in the long coat, dark blond hair tucked behind his ears. Jaime Lannister extends a hand that Sansa accepts, following him through the swinging doors and into the exam room.

Jon follows close behind with Brienne trailing after, his eyes never leaving Jaime's form until he sees his dog.

Ghost lays curled on a bed near the window, his belly shaved and a bandage wrapped around his middle. Jon kneels down, gently brushing his fingers down Ghost's muzzle. "Hey pup." Ghost's eyelids flicker and he looks up at Jon, familiarity reflecting in those large brown eyes.

"Grey Wind?" Sansa asks.

"Right there." His head turns up to see Grey Wind laying in a kennel with the door open, looking to be in worse shape than Ghost. "It's still touch and go with him," Jaime responds. "But Ghost is going to be fine. You can probably take him home tomorrow."

"How much do I owe you?" Jon rises to his feet to pull his wallet from his jacket pocket.

Jaime waves a hand. "Nothing. Just make sure you get the bastard that did this to these dogs."

Sansa gently brushes her fingers over what's left of Grey Wind's soft fur. The dog whines, whether it be in pain or recognition before it falls back to sleep.

"He's in the same shape as -" Sansa quickly cuts herself off before the words tumble out.

"Thank you, Dr. Lannister," Brienne suddenly says. "These dogs wouldn't have made it if it weren't for you."

"Yes, that's right," Jon agrees. "Dr. Lannister, may I speak with you outside for a moment?"

Jaime nods, allowing Jon to pass him out into the tiny hallway and down where the back exit is. As soon as they are out of earshot of the girls, Jon shoves a hand into Jaime's chest and pushes him against the wall. His other hand goes to the pistol tucked in the waistband of his pants. "What is your game here, Lannister?"

"Game?" Jaime repeats. "What are you talking about?"

"Why aren't you holed up with your crazy family? Why are you here?"

"I left my family's clutches ages ago, Mr. Snow. They have no control over me."

Jon snorts in disbelief. "Oh bullshit. You expect me to believe that?"

Jaime pulls Jon's hand away from his jacket. "Yes, I do."

"Jon!" Both men see Sansa standing there, her red locks falling down out of her beanie and a look of irritation creasing her lovely face. "Come see Ghost one more time before we head back."

Jon loops his hand away from the pistol, casting one more look at the older man before following Sansa back to the exam room. Ghost is currently curled in Brienne's lap, tiny whines of discomfort coming from him. He reaches down to press a kiss to his muzzle. "I'll bring you home tomorrow, love."

Ghost whines again, this time in understanding. Brienne rises up and replaces the blanket over the dog's prone form before doing the same for Grey Wind. "Hang in there, pup." Before they go, she grasps Jaime's hand. "Thank you again."

"My pleasure, Brienne."

Jon rolls his eyes, placing a hand on Brienne's elbow and steering her away. The cool afternoon air greets them as they leave. "Be careful with him, Brienne."

Brienne raises a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Never mind, back at the house."

Brienne doesn't argue, reaching over to wrap an arm around Sansa's shoulders. "How's your family?"

"Better," Sansa says.

"That's wonderful." Brienne quickly moves to where she had left her jeep parked late yesterday. "I will see you soon."

As Sansa clampers back into the SUV, Jon turns the ignition before firing it back into the street. "What the hell is with you?"

"Did you not recognize that man?" he snarls.

"Yes it was Jaime Lannister," Sansa says. "I knew him from the moment I saw him. It didn't take you nearly shooting him for me to get it."

"He's a Lannister, Sansa!"

"And you just left your beloved dog in his care," Sansa gently reminds him. "Those dogs would be dead if Lannister was going to do something."

Jon slaps his hand against the steering wheel. "Fuck!" Sansa quickly places her hand on the steering wheel before he can do an illegal U turn.

"Jon, pull over."

He obeys, bringing the SUV over to the curb once again before killing the ignition. He slumps back in his seat, his eyes downcast and resigned. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Jon Snow."

"I am just...so worried about Robb. I was supposed to be there at the wedding and I had to cancel at the last minute. I could've -"

"Or you would be dead right now," Sansa gently reminds him. "Jon, how long have you and my brother been friends?"

"Eighteen years."

"And when have you ever known Robb to not be a fighter?"

The first blink of a smile. "Never."

Sansa leans in, grasping his hand. "Ygritte did a wonderful job taking care of him. It's up to Robb now and I have no reason to believe that he will not make it through this with flying colors." She presses her thumb to the pulse point on his wrist. "It will be okay."

Jon nods. "Okay." He lightly pulls his finger away from hers and kicks the car back into gear. "Sansa?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Anytime, Jon. Anytime."

 **-;**

 **That's all she wrote. My apologies for the long delay, it's been a hell of a few months. Reviews are greatly appreciated and don't forget to check out my polyvore for the ladies' outfits. My handle is 'queenbonniebennet'.**


	3. Day Five

**Day Five**

 **.**

 **.**

 **a/n: The trailer reawakened my love for this show! I'm back!**

 **.**

Grey Wind and Ghost had been brought home from the clinic. Jon had made up a bed for the two still healing dogs in the kitchen by the oven which seemed to always be on now. Sansa was stress baking and Jon was having trouble finding space for all the lemon cakes and chocolate cookies she had made in the last two days.

Theon comes back from his weekend drinking session, taking the cup of black coffee Sansa sticks under his nose. "Don't start, Snow."

Jon furiously opens his mouth but shuts it when he sees Sansa's glare. "I wasn't."

"Yeah you were. Lecture me later," Theon says, stuffing a chocolate cookie in his mouth.

"Can I make you two some eggs?" Sansa asks. Theon nods, giving her a small smile. She sets to preparing the food, toasting some bread and placing a jar of orange jam on the table in between the two men. She keeps an ear cocked towards the stairs, listening for any sounds coming from the second floor.

Robb still hadn't woken up yet. His vitals were stronger and Ygritte was slowly easing him off of the many breathing machines. Tormund had been there late last night with a small manual doo-dad that Ygritte had explained was to test brain activity. Sansa had nearly vomited at the thought of it, of her Robb's body still being alive but what made him _Robb_ being gone forever.

"Everything looks good," Tormund said softly as he packed up his supplies. "We just have to wait for him to wake up."

"Why is it taking so long?" Catelyn had asked.

Tormund glanced at Ygritte. "Robb's body went through a horrible trauma. He is taking his time to heal. You all need to let him. He will wake up when he's ready."

He had taken the mug of coffee Jon offered him before sneaking out the back door to where he had parked his truck and disappearing into the night.

Coming out of her thoughts, Sansa finishes scrambling the eggs and places measured helpings on two plates. "Thank you," Theon whispers before taking a large bite of toast.

"Have you eaten recently?" Jon asks.

Theon shakes his head. "I wasn't off drinking, if that's what you think." Jon raises a disbelieving brow and Theon scowls. "I was doing some...research."

Sansa drops the frying pan onto the stove with a loud _clang._ Ghost lifts his weary head, opening one eye to look at his humans distastefully.

"You went looking for him, didn't you?" she whispers, not sparing a glance at Theon.

The back of Theon's neck begins to heat up. "I know where he is. We have a chance to extract the revenge we need."

"We have no _men_ ," Jon snaps. "Most of them were murdered at the wedding!"

"I have friends that are willing to help. And you can call Sam -" Theon counters, taking an angry bite of eggs.

"Sam and Gilly have a _kid_ now!"

Sansa's glaring holes in the back of Theon's head that she's pretty sure he can feel. He refuses to look her way, opening his mouth to retort. Before he can, Ygritte appears at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ygritte, what is it?"

" _Robb_ ," she manages. "He's waking up."

-;

It is on the fifth day when Robb Stark wakes up.

Sansa watches her brother from the other side of the bedroom. She and Theon sit on the edge of the window seat, their fingers linked together. Ygritte pulls on plastic gloves. "Robb, I am going to take the tube out of your throat. When I say go, I need you to blow as hard as you can, okay?"

Robb nods. Ygritte unhooks the other end of the tube from the small respirator and then wraps her fingers around the edge of the tube. "Ready? Go." She pulls and Robb begins to cough, greedily sucking in air. She dumps the tube into a yellow plastic bag and Catelyn gently places a bottle of water at Robb's lips. He takes a couple of sips, coughing again.

"What h-happened?"

Jon perches on the edge of the bed, his hand resting on Robb's quilt covered foot. "How much do you remember?"

"We were at the Freys'," Robb whispers, his voice croaky. "And – ow!"

"Sorry," Ygritte peers at the dressings on Robb's cheek. "Just one second..."

"Did I -?" Robb holds a hand up to his face, staring at Catelyn. "Oh my god."

Catelyn nods, her fingers wrapping around his. "Yeah."

"Are you all right?" Robb reaches for her with his other hand, pulling out of Ygritte's grip. "Mom, you're –"

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Catelyn tells him, gently patting his undamaged shoulder. "Ygritte here and Tormund, they pulled us right through."

Sansa pulls on Theon's sleeve. She knows what's about to happen. "Let's go back to the kitchen. I think I have another batch of lemon cakes ready to come out of the oven."

Theon nods in understanding, following her from the room. Robb watches them go, confusion flittering across his wrecked face. Sansa closes the door, turning to Theon.

"I have to call Brienne. And then Arya and the boys."

"You call Arya and the boys, I'll call Brienne," Theon says.

Sansa smiles at him gratefully. As she pulls out her phone to dial Brienne's number, an agonizing scream rips through the house.

" _No! No, no!"_

Theon stares at Sansa, his eyes wide. "Talisa."

Sansa blinks back tears before nodding. "Mom told him."

-;

Ygritte moves slowly around the bedroom, cleaning up her scattered medical supplies and tossing used items into the trashbin. Robb sleeps in the bed, the bandages on his face freshly changed. Catelyn dozes in the nearby chair, a blanket draped over her legs. She had refused to go back to her room.

She had called Tormund, told him that Robb had woken up. The older doctor would be by sometime tomorrow morning after his shift was over to check on both Robb and Catelyn.

"Ygritte?"

She turns to see Robb watching her, his eyes wide and swollen. Ygritte swallows the lump in her throat, stripping off her gloves and tossing them into the trash. "How are you feeling?" When she doesn't get an answer, she glances back at Robb. "Robb?"

He's staring at his hands now. There is a stitched wound on the back of his right hand, a bullet that had grazed the skin during the shootout. His body was forever marked by that horrid night.

"What happened to me?" he whispers, so quiet that she almost misses the words.

Ygritte pulls forward the folding chair, carefully sitting on the edge. When she faces Robb again, he reaches out one hand towards her and she takes it. "You were hit with one slug in the stomach and this one -?" She points to his cheek. "Passed right through without even breaking any teeth. But your face – it looked like ground beef. That's why Frey and Bolton thought you were dead."

Robb blinks several times in surprise, licking his lips.

"Talisa?"

Ygritte swallows again, remembering the poor girl's open eyes. "Three shots to the belly. She never even had a chance, Robb."

He looks so broken at her words and Ygritte wishes she could give him a different answer.

"What happened was reported to the news as a drug deal. The police – well they believe that Talisa was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Since Mom and I were not there anymore," Robb finishes and Ygritte nods.

"Yeah."

His lips are quivering, eyes filling with tears. Ygritte lightly pats his hand, carefully pulling her fingers away. "Do you want me to give you something?" He nods hurriedly and Ygritte reaches into her medical bag, pulling out a half-filled syringe. "This won't put you out but it will relax your body and help you sleep, all right?"

The IVs had come out an hour ago so she applies the sedative right into the vein. The medicine takes effect before it's fully in and she watches Robb's eyes begin to droop. One tear spills down his wrecked cheek and she gently wipes it away with the tip of her thumb.

Catelyn sleeps on as Ygritte disposes of the syringe and gathers up her sweater, retreating from the room as silently as she can.

-;

Jon watches Tormund exit Robb's room, a still protesting Catelyn tucked underneath his arm. "I am _fine_ , Dr. Giantsbane. I am perfectly capable of staying with my son."

"You are ready to collapse, Mrs. Stark," Tormund reminds her. "You were shot too. You need to rest and heal. Robb is doing just fine and he is going to need his mother to kick his ass later so please –"

Catelyn huffs in annoyance but doesn't protest anymore, allowing Tormund to guide her back to her room. When the large man returns, he flashes a tired smile at Jon. "Couple of fighters there."

Jon smiles back. "That they are. Say, Tormund, do you think it would be all right for me to bring Grey Wind up here? Wouldn't be upsetting to Robb's recovery, would it?"

"I don't see why it would," Tormund replies. "Is the dog doing better?"

"He is." Jon heads downstairs to the kitchen and finds Grey Wind getting to his feet and heading for the kitchen door. Ghost is still curled in a ball on his blankets. After Grey Wind comes in from outside, Jon leads him over to the stairs. The dog stops at the bottom and gives Jon a look that clearly says _'seriously?'_ "Sorry boy." Jon scoops the dog up into his arms, wincing when he feels the dog begin to tremble.

Sansa's waiting for him by the door, holding it open for him and Grey Wind to pass by. Robb brightens immediately when he sees his dog, holding out his arms. Jon shifts the dog to the foot of the bed, pulling his arms away as delicately as he can.

Grey Wind catches glimpse of Robb and a low whine leaves his throat. "What happened to him?" Robb whispers, patting the husky on top of the head.

"He and Ghost...the kennels were set ablaze," Jon says. "Brienne got them out."

"Is Ghost all right?"

Jon nods. "He's fine. He and Grey Wind are coming along just fine."

Robb strokes his unwounded hand over the top of Grey Wind's fur, the smell of burned hair tickling the end of his nose. Grey Wind whines again, the sound the smallest of cries. The dog licks the back of Robb's hand, resting his head on his paws as he stares at his master.

"He missed you," Sansa says from the door. She tugs on Jon's jacket.

"I missed him," Robb murmurs. "The others – Lady and Nymeria and -?"

"They weren't there, remember?" Sansa says gently. "Lady's with Margarey and the other three are with Arya and the boys."

"That's right," Robb reaffirms, his voice wavering.

Sansa tugs on Jon's jacket again, passing him to lean over Robb's bed. "Robb, can I -?" The words die on her lips and he nods, reaching up his arm to wrap around her shoulder. She hugs him back, pressing her lips to the top of his head. "Love you."

Jon turns his face away.

"Love you too, sister."

-;

" _So he's going to be okay?"_

Sansa smiles, nodding at her phone. "He and Mom are going to be just fine. The dogs are doing well too. Jon brought Grey Wind up to stay in Robb's room and I'm looking at Ghost right now."

Arya breathes out a sigh of relief. _"Thank god. When Lysa told us what happened..."_

Sansa nods. "I know. But...it's over now."

" _So what's going to happen?"_ Arya asks.

"I don't know. I think once Mom and Robb are able to travel, we're all coming to you guys." She hears a soft noise coming from the stairs and looks up to see Jon standing there awkwardly. "Arya say hi to Jon."

" _Hi Jon!"_

Jon chuckles. "Hi Arya. Uh, Sansa, can you -?" he gestures to the phone and Sansa quickly takes it off speaker. "I'm going to go claim Talisa's body."

Her heart begins to hammer in her chest. "Okay? But where –?"

"Down by the river," Jon whispers. "She and Robb loved it there so I thought..."

Sansa nods. "She'd like that."

Jon tugs on her jacket sleeve and Sansa smiles, watching him go. _"Hello! San, are you still there?!"_

Sansa puts the phone back onto speaker. "Yeah I'm still here."

" _What happened?"_

"Jon's going to bring Talisa home."

-;

She sees the truck pull up a few hours later. Theon hops out of the passenger side, making for the garage and returning moments later with three shovels.

"They're really going to bury her down by the river?" Sansa looks to her right to see Ygritte standing beside her. Dark purple shadows line underneath the redhead's eyes and her mouth is turned down in a tired grimace.

Sansa nods. "She and Robb would go down there and have picnics. It was sickeningly romantic and mushy. Arya would sneak over and in the bushes and make gagging noises if they even leaned in for a kiss."

Ygritte laughs. "I'm sure Robb and Talisa appreciated that."

"They got revenge though. Robb grabbed her and tossed her into the water. Luckily Arya was a strong swimmer and she even pulled him in after her." She laughs too at the look of surprise on Ygritte's face. "Be happy you were not here when we were children, Ygritte. You never would have had a moment's peace."

Ygritte makes a small noise in the back of her throat. "Well I highly doubt that, Sansa." When Sansa looks at her questioningly, she nods towards the window. "Jon caught me trying to steal his bike. A life of living in foster homes and shoplifting wasn't really the best kind of life."

Sansa winces. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," the other redhead says quickly. "I'm happy. I have you lot as family. Ten years ago I was on the fast track to juvie and now I am a doctor."

"And a damn good one," Sansa replies, lightly poking her arm. Ygritte chuckles sadly, startling when Sansa wraps her arms around her. "Thank you for saving them."

Ygritte makes another noise, clumsily patting her on the back. "Anytime."

The door opens and shuts and the girls spring away from each other. Theon stands there, covered in mud from head to toe, his eyes reddened like he had been crying and Sansa pretends not to notice. "Uh, do we have any flowers?"

-;

Sansa stays with her mother and brother while a cleaned up Brienne and Ygritte go out. The November chill had come in the last few nights and no more flowers bloomed so they found a small florist just down the street from the vet clinic.

"Have you seen anymore of Dr. Lannister?" Ygritte asks the tall blond.

Brienne splutters in surprise, shooting Ygritte a weak glare before softening. "No. I have not."

"Jon told me about the looks you and he were giving each other."

"He's still a Lannister," Brienne says as she examines a bouquet of daisies. "It isn't proper. Especially now."

They buy four bouquets of different kinds of flowers. Ygritte was reminded of the many different colored sweaters that Talisa liked to wear and found herself searching for those colors among the flowers.

When they return to Jon's house, they find the rest of the family scattered on the back deck and to Ygritte's surprise, Robb too.

She had removed the bandages on his face this morning. The ugly line of stitches on his left cheek glared at her, reminding them all of what had happened just a little over a week ago.

"How do you feel?" she murmurs.

The smile he gives her is obviously fake and exhausted. "I just want to say goodbye to my wife."

Tormund was there as well as Sam and Gilly Tarly. Sam and Tormund support Robb as they walk down to the river-side, moving away from him as he takes a single yellow rose from the bouquet that Brienne was holding in her hands.

No words are said as the flowers are scattered about. Some are tossed into the water, quickly disappearing from view as the rush of the waves carries them away. Some are twined together in a chain and plopped on top of Brienne's head, causing the first laugh to rumble through the small group. The flowers look so odd and foreign sitting on top of Brienne's blond pixie cut and she quickly removes them, a blush heating up her cheeks.

No one tries to offer words of condolences to Robb, no one tries to say anything, not even a eulogy. The pain...the grief is so raw at this very moment and tears suddenly begin to spill down Ygritte's cheeks. Sansa twines her arm through hers, lacing their fingers together.

"I didn't even _know_ her," Ygritte whispers to her new friend. "I don't understand."

Sansa shakes her head, her own tears streaking her face. "Neither do I."

Robb's stoic. More than what Ygritte had expected. He stands straight as a board, supported just a bit now by Jon. She watches his battered face and doesn't see a bit of emotion. Not that she expected any.

She remembered when her parents had died. She didn't cry until two weeks after the funeral, two weeks after when the impact of what had happened had sunk in. It had been five months after that when she had met Jon Snow and tried to steal his bike. Life had never been the same since then.

Ygritte was a doctor now. She could save life and take it away just as easily. When Ned had offered her the position of a sniper on his team, she had taken it immediately. She had loved archery as a teenager, had a dream of maybe even making it to the Olympics to compete on the team there. How foolish was that?

When she had felt Robb's pulse underneath her fingertips that blood soaked early morning, when she had seen the slight rise and fall of his chest, she did everything she could to save him and she did. She owed that much to the Stark family.

Since Ned's death, things had changed so much. Ned had died protecting Jon and Catelyn had lashed out at the young man, blaming him because she had asked him to try to protect her husband. To get him out of the line of fire. Catelyn was tired and she was ready to leave this life.

Ned's murder had brought them all right back into it.

Catelyn knew they needed protection. Their family was too small and they needed more people on their side.

Robb was supposed to enter into a marriage with the daughter of Walder Frey but he was already in a relationship with Talisa. By the time Catelyn realized that, Robb and Talisa had eloped and it was too late. Much, much too late.

And that was how they were here today.

Robb leans down to place the rose on top of the mound of dirt that was now where Talisa lay. He kisses his fingertips and reaches his hand back for Jon, who helps back to his feet. "Get me out of here," he whispers faintly.

Jon does as he's told, Catelyn trailing after them as they make their way back to the house.

 **-;**

 **Well...review? Please?**


	4. Robb

**.**

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 **.**

Catelyn sits straight up in bed, breathing heavily. Her shoulder aches like nothing else and sweat beads her forehead as she sucks in gulps of air.

Pushing the covers off of her legs, Catelyn picks up a comforter that had been strewn over the nearby chair and wraps that around her shoulders. She winces in pain, pulling her shirt away to look at the bandage on her shoulder. She wasn't healing as quickly as she would like. Robb's bandages were already off and it had only been seven days since the wedding while Ygritte had had to redo her stitches last night.

She pads down the hallway to Robb's room, quietly cracking it open. A small light remains on in the corner, casting soft rays over the bed. Robb sleeps on, his chest rising and falling quietly. She moves to the other side of the hallway and opens that door, just barely making out Sansa's snoring form in her bed.

Downstairs, to her surprise, Jon is slumped over the kitchen table. His head rests in the cradle of his arms. "Jon?"

Jon springs awake, blinking sleep from his eyes. "Oh! Mrs. Stark, are you all right?"

Catelyn nods. "If you could call this 'all right'," she says softly. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," Jon says. "But I guess I did," he adds with a sheepish smile that Catelyn returns. "Can I make you some tea?"

"I'd like that, thank you."

He gets to his feet and moves over to the stove, placing the kettle on to boil. She takes his seat at the table, gingerly resting her arm against the edge. "How are you feeling?" Jon asks her as he pulls two mugs from the cupboard.

Catelyn sighs, almost in defeat. "Not well. I wish I would heal faster."

Jon chuckles sadly. "Give it time, Mrs. Stark."

"I've never been the patient one, Jon. You know that."

"I think it runs in the family," he jokes, his mouth twisting down. "Sorry."

Catelyn shakes her head. "Not at all. My children are not patient. Never have been, never will be. In fact, I think you and Ygritte and maybe even Theon are the more patient ones."

"We try to rub it off on them," Jon adds and Catelyn smiles.

"Thanks for that."

The tea kettle whistles, silenced immediately by Jon. "Earl Grey, right?" Catelyn nods. He sets a piping hot mug in front of her, his own filled with orange pekoe.

"That's Sansa's favorite," Catelyn observes and Jon flushes. "She make you try it?"

"It's all that's left," he defends and Catelyn grins, taking a small sip from her mug. "Robb's doing well."

"He is," she agrees. "The swelling in his cheek has already started to recede. Ygritte said his face should look almost just the way it was before."

"Robb's never been one to care what he looks like," Jon says.

"None of you boys were. I think Ned had to threaten and bribe the lot of you to _shower_ whenever we had company over."

Jon laughs, ducking his head. "You had five children and wound up with eight all together."

"I wouldn't take any of that back either," Catelyn reminds him gently.

He nods, sipping at his tea. They sit in comfortable silence for what seems like hours, broken only by Jon's words that make Catelyn her mug on the table.

"I would have died for him in an instant."

Catelyn doesn't bother asking if he means Ned or Robb. It doesn't really matter.

After the spilled tea is cleaned up and a new cup poured, Catelyn fixes her eyes on Jon. She reaches her good hand out, clasping the back of his and noting the dirt underneath his fingernails. "I know that."

"Then why –"

"Because I needed someone to blame. I didn't want to blame Ned or myself," Catelyn says. "Jon, you have been a part of this family since Robb dragged you home at the age of thirteen asking if we 'could keep you'. Like you were a puppy found on the streets." Jon sighs tiredly and Catelyn continues. "Ned loved you like a son. He died protecting you. I never should have lashed out at you. I was wrong."

Jon covers her hand with his other one, giving her the smallest of smiles.

"In fact, I need to thank you."

"For what?" he asks, surprised.

"If you hadn't gotten there in time, Robb and I wouldn't be here," Catelyn says. "You saved us. _Thank you._ "

"Nothing family wouldn't do for each other," he says and Catelyn smiles back.

"Exactly."

They finish their tea in silence, Jon retreating to the stairs once the cups are washed and placed back into the cupboard. "Are you staying up for a while?"

Catelyn nods, noting the beginning rays of sunlight beginning to shine through the window. "I think I would like to watch the sunrise," she adds. "Gosh that sounds strange."

Jon laughs, retreating up the stairs and leaving her alone in the kitchen. She rises to her feet and walks to the back door, opening it slightly. She can hear the rush of the river and just make out the mound of dirt that was Talisa's final resting place. She makes a mental note to plant flowers there before they leave for her sister's in London.

Catelyn was honestly counting the days until she and Robb were well enough to travel. London was where her other children were. Where her sister was. She was ready to find a new home and be safe.

-;

Sansa glares at the numbers on her laptop screen, her fingers digging into her temples. While she was on leave from school, she still had to do her homework. Gods, she hated homework. "Stupid calculus."

"Sansa?"

She startles so much that her laptop slams shut. Robb's standing in her doorway and he starts laughing and she rolls her eyes. "Very funny."

"I'm sorry," Robb says. "Would you like a break?"

Sansa gets to her feet. "God yes."

After collecting snacks from the kitchen, they move outside. Sansa helps Robb sit in the grass, a blanket strewn about. She lays her feet in his lap, her hair twisted into a lump behind her head as she stares up at the November sky. "I honestly cannot wait to get back to London, isn't that odd? I miss the rain. The rain, Robb!"

"Arya and the boys?"

"Them too."

Robb chuckles, patting her knee before pushing her feet off and ignoring her soft grumbles. Sansa swipes a Oreo from the package resting between them, sitting up. Leaves and bits of grass are stuck in her hair and even – "oh god, it's a bug! Get it out please!"

Robb plucks the six legged friend from her hair, flicking it from his fingers. She catches glimpse of the healing wound on the back of his hand. "When are those stitches coming out?"

He glances down at his hand, shrugging a shoulder. "Ygritte says probably another two days. The face will be a little longer."

Sansa's eyes flit to her brother's face. She had seen horror stories on the television of people surviving shots to the face and being horribly disfigured after but her brother was a lucky one. Once the swelling went all the way down and the stitches came out (Ygritte was a magician.) all Robb had to do was grow his beard back again and no one would ever know what had happened.

She wondered when their enemies would catch up with them.

"Are you excited to get out of here?" Sansa asks him, stuffing another Oreo in her mouth. "It's been months since you've seen Arya and the boys."

"I do miss them," Robb agrees. "I remember having to break you and Arya up when she would flick food at your face during dinner time."

She cackles, pulling a smile from her brother. "Mom was _not amused_. And Dad waited until she was out of the room before he started laughing."

"I wonder what Dad would have to say about all of this," Robb wonders.

Sansa raises a brow. "Explain, brother."

"What's there to explain?" Robb says. "His job got his family targeted."

"It did," Sansa says carefully. "Robb, this wasn't your fault."

"But it was," Robb tells her. Sansa stares. "I tried to be like Dad. And I failed."

"Robb –"

"I couldn't protect the people I cared about. Mom got shot, Talisa and the baby are dead. And I'm still here. I should've –"

"What?" Sansa angrily interjects. "Died like Dad?"

"Maybe," he mutters, not meeting her eyes. "Maybe Talisa would still be here."

"And maybe she wouldn't," Sansa snaps. "Robb, you have no way of knowing any of that. What happened –"

"Was my fault!" Robb growls. "If I had just married the Frey girl –"

"You fell in love!" Sansa shifts on the blanket so she is closer to Robb, gently grabbing his shoulder. "You couldn't help that."

"I shouldn't have though."

"But you did," Sansa makes him meet her eyes. "You did and there is nothing you can do to change that now. What happened... _happened_. And god, it sucks. It sucks so _much_." Tears begin to spill down her cheeks. "But you're still here and you have a chance now. We can go, we can get to London and start over with our lives. Talisa will always be right here." She rests her hand on his chest, right above his heart. "She will be all around you. You will carry her with you wherever you will go."

Tears spill down Robb's cheeks and she wipes them away, almost climbing into his lap to wrap her arms around his neck. He hugs her back, burying his nose in her shoulder. "I love you, little sister."

"I love you too big brother."

-;

Robb flinches as Ygritte rests the tiny cold scissors against his skin. "Sorry."

"That's all right, they're just cold."

She eases the scissors up, gently pulling the stitches from his cheek and tossing the threads into a nearby metal bowl. One tiny drop of blood spills out that she wipes away with a cotton ball. "There you go. Have a look."

Robb moves over to the floor length mirror that he had been avoiding for the past week. His battered reflection stares back at him and he has the urge to vomit. "Amazing."

"Too hot to handle?" Ygritte offers and he rolls his eyes.

His fingers rest against the raised edges of skin on his cheek. The pink line is barely noticeable and won't be within a few months.

"I don't know how Bolton did it," Ygritte says, reading his thoughts. "The entry and exit wounds were so clean, all I had to do was stitch you up."

"I don't get it," Robb mutters to himself.

"Don't think too much about it," Ygritte says, snatching a bottle of hand sanitizer from a nearby shelf. "Just start packing. We're hitting the road within the week."

"That's true." Robb sits down on the edge of the bed, reaching down for his boots and pulling them on. "What will you do when we get to London?"

"I dunno. Leech off your aunt for a while and find a job at a hospital. Then I'll get my own place and be out of your hair for good." She misses the shadow that crosses Robb's face at the last sentence. "What about you?"

"Me?" he repeats.

"No the man two blocks over. Yes _you."_

Robb muses the question as Ygritte finishes cleaning up the rest of medical supplies. The room is starting to look more like a bedroom again rather than a hospital ward.

"I am really not sure," he says at last. "I haven't really thought of it."

"What did you do before you and your mom stepped in after your dad died?"

"You were here, don't you remember?"

"I was a little busy," Ygritte smiles. "What did you do? Write? Do science-y things?"

He chuckles, shaking his head. "No actually...I wanted to be a teacher."

Ygritte zips up her medical bag and sits down beside him on the bed. "What kind of teacher?"

"Ancient History," Robb says. "Anything about the old world fascinated me."

"Roman and Greek gods?"

"Not exactly. More European. Ancient monarchies and such."

"That sounds..." Ygritte searches for the proper word. "Actually wonderful."

He looks at her, his eyes wide with a certain wonder and she flushes, snatching up a pillow and tossing it at his face. He laughs then, real and slightly hopeful before throwing the pillow back.

 **-;**

 **Our babies are hopeful! And the beginnings of Jonsa and RobYgritte. I am looking forward to developing them more. RobYgritte is gonna be quite the slowburn since it's only been...a week since his wife died. We will just have to see where it goes. I'm excited, LOL. Please leave me your thoughts!**


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